The Tenth Man and His Box
by BatWingteenavenger
Summary: Ten and the TARDIS's thoughts after Donna's mind wipe and departure.


**A/N So, combing through the majority of fics in this category, I found that many TARDIS related stories came from 11's era, which makes sense in its own way...but here I am thinking 'What did 10 think of his Old Girl?' and 'What did she think of her Thief?'**

**Well, here's my own thoughts. Reviews are highly appreciated!**

**Alons-y! **

My Thief is hurting. The Red Girl, Bossy Red One, had to forget him entirely, because she had half of his mind inside her own. In a way, this hurt is ten times that of when he lost my Wolf, because at least he can have a chance, although very very small, to meet his precious Wolf again someday...he can never see his newest stray ever again, or her mind will burn. He does not want that! No, I do not either.

Now my Thief, my Time Lord, strokes my console. He will not leak. He refuses to leak, and I am greatful he does not. Because it makes me...achy in my core, as well as soaking wet and slow for a short time. He hurts. I try to hum encouragingly...to tell him he will find a new stray soon.

But he glares at me. I tinkle and wheeze my amusement at this, for I know past, present, future...and he has little choice in the matter.

"Why do you keep letting me do this, Old Girl? Why do you let them in? Why do you provide keys for them...when you know they'll go?" My Doctor asks, his voice so very...old. His 900 years are showing here now.

I cannot answer with words, obviously, but I twitter and whistle _Because you should never be alone. Even temporary strays make you not as lonely._

"I wish it was always just you and me. You've been there...even when I hurt you...you never kicked me out to go explore the universe by yourself. When I hurt you...I was so foolish. It wasn't your fault...my girl."

_Your anger hurts, my Time Lord...but your fury hurts less than your despair, to me. _I hum softly, trying to ease his guilt about striking me on those rare occasions that he throws a giant tantrum.

He paces and wrings his hands "And what do I do to you? The one who's stuck with me through all this time?! I bring silly humans in to interrupt our time together! I'm never lonely...not realy am I? No...because you're here! You're here and you'll never leave! Never! Because you're my Old Girl...and I'm...I'm your Time Lord."

He sits down now, and leaks.

"Your silly...broken...murderous Time Lord."

I click and groan at him. Murderous?! Not my Doctor! Yes, I suppose there were times...like with his War face, that such a title would fit him. But he was not War any longer, and I do not think he deserves to be called something as horrid as _murderer._

He does not agree, and puts his hand over his eyes. "No, no, don't deny it. I am one. But you care =for me anyway...me, this old, pathetic being. People copmment...humans anyway, comment how they must be ants to me...but really, you magnificent creature..._you_ are in reality...the superior being here. This daft Time Lord must be an insect to you."

He stood with that sad smile, so self-deproicating, and paced around the console "You...you see time and space and past and future and present all at once! You have a star inside your bosom on the collapse for eternity yet you allow ME, your foolish, sad, insignificant Time Lord, to dictate where we go! WHEN we go and I...!"

He sits again "I botch it almost every single time! Rose...Donna...Mickey...even my own metacrisis! Everyone dies or is lost or leaves! Rassilon, the ONLY one of my companions to get a happy ending was SARAH JANE!"

I hum. He looks up at my ceiling and smiles briefly in memory of his long-suffering companion "Well, Sarah Jane...she was a special case now, wasn't she? My fourth face was very clever, he was! Made a clean break. Maybe that's my problem. I hold too tightly. They're humans...fragile, infurioatingly finite humans. And you and I are immortals. Well, you are anyway. I'll run out of regenerations eventually. Not a pleasant thought though, is it."

I shudder. I do not like what Thief is implying!

"No, but it has to be acknowledged, doesn't it Old Girl? Humans are more finite than Time Lords. And Time Lords are more finite than TARDISes. Oh, don't groan at me! You know it's true, my Girl."

He finally gets himself distracted enough so that I can feel that it was time for the running again. It was about time too! I prefer the Running to the moping.

As he runs around my console, that spark of adventuring in his brown eyes again, Thief rambles about going to a planet with three moons and four suns. Of course, he sets the wrong coordinates and I correct them immediately.

"Then let's have a good, old fashioned adventure, shall we? After all, I only have time for a few thousand more years! Allons-y!"


End file.
